U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) will be in Homestead, Fla. Saturday to visit the Homestead Temporary Shelter for Unaccompanied Children and speak to some of the 94 children there who were separated from their families and find out exactly what’s being done to reunite them with their families.
According to the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, there are more than 1,000 migrant children currently being held at the Homestead shelter – including 94 who were separated from their families at the border. HHS says there are at least 174 children who were separated from their families being held at facilities in Florida – including the 94 at Homestead.
Nelson, who has been outspoken opponent of the Trump administration’s policy of separating families at the border, has said the executive order that President Trump signed Wednesday does nothing to reunify the 2,300 kids around the country who have already been separated from their families.
Just days after being denied entry to the Homestead facility Tuesday, Nelson will return to the site at 1:00 p.m. Saturday to meet with the kids being held there and to hear directly from officials on the ground about what they are doing to reunite them with their parents.
Despite denying him access to the facility Tuesday, HHS officials have assured Nelson that he will be allowed inside the facility to meet with the kids when he arrives at 1:00 p.m. Saturday.
If you want to catch Nelson while he’s there, he will be available to media outside the main entrance to the facility when he arrives, circa 12:30 p.m., and then again immediately after visiting the facility, circa 2:00 p.m. A local Nelson contact is Michelle McGovern at 561-662-2411.
Here’s a copy of Nelson’s schedule for Saturday:
12:30 p.m. – Nelson available to media upon arriving at Homestead Temporary Shelter for Unaccompanied Children
Outside main entrance to Homestead Temporary Shelter for Unaccompanied Children
960 Bougainville Boulevard
Homestead, Fla.
1:00 p.m. – Sen. Bill Nelson to visit Homestead Temporary Shelter for Unaccompanied Children
Homestead Temporary Shelter for Unaccompanied Children
960 Bougainville Boulevard
Homestead, Fla.
2:00 p.m. – Nelson available to media after visiting Homestead Temporary Shelter for Unaccompanied Children
Outside main entrance to Homestead Temporary Shelter for Unaccompanied Children
960 Bougainville Boulevard
Homestead, Fla.
